


A Cautionary Tale

by leonheart2012



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con, First Kiss, Gay Awakening, M/M, Pole Dancing, clubs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:48:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28193475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leonheart2012/pseuds/leonheart2012
Summary: Prompto finds a flyer for a pole dancing event. He decides to go. It leads to some not very nice things, but then Promptio happens <3*Note*: I've marked this as Rape/Non-Con because the implication for what this guy wants to do to Prompto - without his consent - is really obvious and could be triggering, so proceed with caution.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum, Prompto Argentum/Original Male Character(s)
Kudos: 28





	A Cautionary Tale

Prompto stopped short, turned on his heel and went back into the store, looking at the poster on the wall. A 'ladies' night at the club in town. But that wasn't what he was looking at. The guy's abs were...astonishing. His hair was slicked back, his pecs almost as big as real breasts, his biceps bulging as he gripped the pole, his thigh and calf muscles massive. And the bulge just above them was just as impressive.

Feeling his cheeks heat, he quickly took one of the pamphlets and left the store again. When he had found a secluded spot, he opened up the brochure and ogled the guy on the cover for another good five minutes before even thinking of taking in any of the information on it.

 _Come see the hottest_ _dancer_ _in all of Eos, here only for this weekend!_ The ad boasted, in large, swirly type. Underneath, in smaller, less fancy script, were the details of the event; where it was taking place, how much it was to get in, what time.

Prompto wasn't sure what he should do. So, he pocketed the paper and went back to the Le Ville, thinking the whole way. He was so engrossed in thought he didn't see Ignis until he had bumped into him.

"Oh, sorry." Prompto said hastily with a flush, moving to the side. He hurried inside before Ignis could say anything, flopping down onto his mattress, burying his face in one of the pillows.

Ignis frowned after him, but didn't stop to investigate. He just shut the door and continued about his business, which Prompto was very grateful for. He opened the pamphlet again and re-read all the information. And he made a decision.

_This was the wrong choice_ , he thought as he stood in line, surrounded by women, clutching the 500 gil it cost to get in with white knuckles. He was nervous, but he wasn't quite sure why. He wouldn't know anyone there, right?

As he moved to the front of the queue, his nerves grew tighter and tighter, curling into a writhing mass in the pit of his stomach. He wanted to throw up.

But then, all of a sudden, he was at the front of the line, handing his money to the person at the door who, without even looking up at him, took his wrist and stamped it with the club's logo before waving him in. His mouth went dry and his stomach heaved. He felt so sick, but he took the first step into the club anyway.

The pounding bass of the music reached him first. Flashing lights blinded him in the otherwise dark room. A stench of barely-covered-up sweat infiltrated his nose. Too much perfume mixed with the air and made him gag. His skin tingled with the air-conditioning. It was all way too much. He had to get somewhere more quiet, with fewer people, less noise.

Then, as if answering his prayers, the lights went down, and a cheer swept through the club. The music changed, seemingly getting even louder in the process, and a spotlight found the stage in the centre of the room. The girls who had been up there slithered down with the help of their friends, staring up at where, soon, there would be a very sexy man.

Prompto's breath hitched as the man stepped out from behind a curtain. His golden-laced black shoes shone, polished to perfection. His bare legs stretched on and on, all the way up to his tight booty-shorts, which flaunted everything he had. His tiny little jacket covered absolutely none of his torso. His hair was long, sweeping the tops of his shoulders. Blonde, luscious locks that he immediately fanned around his head as he shook it.

Glitter fell from his hair and more glistened as it caught the light, all over his tight body. Things started to stir in Prompto's body. He wasn't even really sure why, but he wanted to get closer, to touch. He wanted to touch this guy so badly. He wanted this guy to touch _him_ , to have his attention, to-

The man's eyes swept over the crowd, and Prompto shivered. He knew it was meant to make him feel seen, and it worked. He felt like their eyes had locked, even if just for a millisecond, and he wanted that moment to be captured forever. He took an uncertain step towards the stage, where the man started his performance in earnest.

As Prompto drew closer, the man approached the pole, sidling up to it while swaying his hips. Already, girls were reaching out with notes, and the man graciously bent down and took their money, sliding one wad of notes over his chin, down the long line of his neck, over his chest, dragging it across his nipple and making a _face_...one that held so much ecstasy.

Finally, he tucked the gil into his pants and started with his routine, gliding around the pole like he was made to fit it. His muscles rippled as he moved. Prompto could hardly breathe.

Before he knew what had happened, he was standing right at the foot of the stage, staring, mesmerised by the picture of strength and grace in front of him. Time seemed to have slowed. There was no one else but him and this man, who was such a master of his craft. The man's eyes caught on Prompto's face, widening slightly. He slid down the pole, right to the floor, where he crawled forward, his eyes locked on Prompto's. And he couldn't move, couldn't even breathe. If he made a single move, this would all be revealed to be a dream.

The man stopped just short of their noses touching. Then, in the softest, most masculine, gentle voice Prompto had ever heard, he spoke. "Hey."

The spell was broken. Prompto's cheeks flushed bright red, and he turned and fled. He didn't stop running until he got to the hotel. His heart was racing. How had he survived that? Blood still roaring in his ears, cheeks still warm, he snuck into the hotel room and climbed into bed, trying to get to sleep.

Prompto had hoped to never see the man from the club again, but of course his luck was completely shot. He was out with Noct when he heard the guy's voice. He hadn't noticed Prompto yet - thank the Six - but he was close by. Prompto just had to-

"Oh, hey, it's you." His eyes swept over Noct, and his eyes narrowed. "You never introduced yourself the other day." He smiled at Prompto and held out his hand. "My name's Livek. You?"

"Uh..." Prompto's eyes darted to Noct, but he had already lost interest. "Prompto." He shook Livek's hand, and almost went weak in the knees. Gods, he was _strong_.

"Nice to meet you, Prompto. I was wondering if you wanted to do a bit of shopping with me?"

"Uh...I..." He looked again to Noctis, who shrugged.

"Do whatever you want. We'll probably be staying a while anyways. Just don't be out too late."

"O-okay. I'll see you later, then." Prompto said as he was whisked away.

As they walked, Livek started to talk. "Sorry about that night." He led. "I didn't want to scare you off."

"No, no, it's...you didn't. I was just...I've never been to a pole-dancing club before. You were very good."

He beamed at Prompto. "Thank you. You look like you could work a pole, too." His hand brushed Prompto's chest. "You've got a good physic."

"Th-thanks." Prompto said, blushing.

Livek led them through the street stalls, stopping seemingly at random. As they walked, Livek talked almost non-stop, not really letting Prompto say anything. In response, Prompto tried to make himself as small as possible, hoping for an opportunity to excuse himself. He really just wanted to go back to the hotel and play games on his phone.

"I love this place." He said after leaving one stall. "Lestallum, I mean. Always so lively. Are you from around here?"

"No, I...I'm just passing through. Listen I should probably-"

"Ooh, come and see this." Livek said, grabbing Prompto's hand and leading him to another stall. Prompto's heart jumped into his throat, and he started to panic. It was becoming increasingly apparent that nothing Prompto said would matter. He had to get away as quickly as possible.

At the stall was a collection of chokers and earrings. "This stall is amazing. I almost always buy one. Why don't I get you one?"

"No, that's okay, I don't-"

"Come on, this one would look stunning on you." He held up a light blue choker. "It also has protection woven into it so it'll keep you safe, too. For when you're out on the road."

Prompto took a step back. "No, really, it's okay. I have enough of that kind of thing."

Livek pouted, but let the matter drop. "Alright. Maybe I can get you something else, then? Are you hungry?"

"Not really."

Livek took Prompto's hand again and led him through the streets until they reached a little restaurant. He sat them down at one of the tables. "Order whatever you like." He said with a smile.

Prompto picked up the menu, but mostly to hide from Livek's piercing blue eyes. A waitress came over not much later and asked if they were ready to order.

"I'll have a caramel milkshake and one of your lovely burgers please, sweetheart." Livek said with a wink as he handed back the menu. She blushed and took his order.

"And for you?" She asked Prompto.

"Um...just some chips and water, thanks." He had wanted to say 'nothing', but the look from Livek had changed his mind. It had been something like anticipation, but Prompto had read it as ‘don’t disappoint me’. He really didn't want to test what those muscles could do.

The waitress took Prompto's order and then left them alone. Prompto squirmed in his seat while Livek continued to talk about himself. He seemed to believe he was the most amazing person on Eos. He slipped in a few compliments about Prompto, which made him blush and splutter, confused.

After they had eaten, Livek paid for the meal. It was starting to get dark. "Thank you for the meal, but I really should-"

"Have you ever seen the city at night from the tallest building?" Livek interrupted.

"N-no. But maybe next-"

"Come on, then." Livek took Prompto's hand again and led him up to a building that stretched high into the sky. He opened a side door and started climbing the stairs. Prompto briefly contemplated running away; he had run to get fit for a full three years, after all. He was sure he could outmanoeuvre Livek. But what if he couldn't? What would Livek do? So, he placed his foot on the first stair and started to climb.

At the top of the stairs, there was a door that opened onto a rooftop. Livek led the way to the edge and leaned over the railing that had been set up. "Look at that. So beautiful." He turned around and looked at Prompto. "Just like you." He reached out and stroked over Prompto's cheek. "You're pretty enough to be a woman, you know?" He leaned in closer. "I like boys like you."

"R-really?" Prompto's couldn't move. He was rooted to the spot, paralysed with fear.

"Really.” His eyes narrowed as he looked Prompto over, taking in his body language “You seemed to like my performance the other night. Why are you playing so hard to get now?" His lips came close enough to kiss, which spurred Prompto to take a step back.

"I...I just want to get to know you better."

"We can get to know each other _really_ well up here." Livek said in a lecherous tone. Prompto’s spine felt sticky, and he thought he might be sick. "No one to interrupt us."

Suddenly, Noctis was on the rooftop, followed shortly by Gladio and Ignis, who burst through the door Prompto and Livek had emerged from not too long ago. "Sure about that?" Noctis said, drawing his favourite sword from the armiger. Gladio had drawn his own sword and was standing protectively in front of Prompto, while Ignis was leading Prompto away by the arm.

Prompto followed as he heard Gladio growl, "Stay away from Prompto. If we see you anywhere near him again, we'll beat you to a pulp."

Livek growled something back, something Prompto couldn't hear, and then the door closed. Ignis led him back to the hotel. Then, they spent the next twenty minutes waiting for the others to return.

When they finally came back through the door, Prompto rushed over and gave them both a hug. "Are you alright?"

"Should be asking you that, Prom." Gladio said. "I can't believe he was about to-"

" _Are_ you okay, Prom?" Noctis asked, gripping his friend's shoulder.

Prompto swallowed and nodded. "Just a bit shaken up, that's all." He noticed a scrape on Noctis' cheek. "You're hurt! What happened up there?"

"Taught him a lesson." Gladio grumbled. "If you ever see him again, I'm not letting him walk away." He looked stormy, more angry than Prompto had ever seen him before. It kind of scared him, so he turned back to Noctis.

"He'll live. But I don't think he'll try that with anyone any time soon. What a creep, cornering you like that."

"But how did..."

Noctis frowned. "Well, when he first stopped you, I wasn't sure if you were into it or not, so I decided to watch from a distance. After the restaurant, though, I knew he was bad news, so I came back and got Gladio and Ignis."

Prompto sat down heavily on his bed. "Thanks. I don't know what I would have done if...well, thanks."

"Of course. We've always got your back, buddy."

_Livek's hands are travelling down my back, to my ass, squeezing and grabbing at the skin, his lips pressed against my own, his hard-on digging into my hip. He's got me pressed against a wall, and I'm powerless to do anything. He's so much bigger than me. So much stronger. He's going to swallow me whole._

Prompto woke up from his nightmare drenched in sweat. He looked over to see Gladio sitting up in his bed, reading a book. He set it aside when he heard movement from Prompto's bed.

"Hey, you alright?" He asked, moving closer.

Prompto nodded slowly. "I'm...okay."

"You sure? Don't need anything?"

He rubbed at his eyes. "What time is it?"

Gladio looked at his phone. "Three forty. You should go back to sleep."

"Why are _you_ up?"Prompto asked, even though he had a feeling he knew the answer. Gladio flushed and looked away, but that was all the answer Prompto needed. "I don't need baby-sitting."

"We know, it was just...in case you had a nightmare like just now. Would you rather you were dealing with it alone?"

Prompto pressed his lips together. _No_. He didn't want to have to deal with those images on his own. "Then sleep next to me? I'm not sure I can forget..." He shivered.

"Okay. Come here." Gladio climbed into bed and curled his arms around Prompto's shoulders and, even though he was of a similar size and build to Livek, Prompto felt utterly safe in his arms. Nothing could hurt him while he was here.

Breathing in Gladio's wood smoke scent, he closed his eyes and dreamed of better things.

When he next woke, it was afternoon. He was starving, his stomach growling at him to fill it with nutrients. He remembered he had barely eaten anything the previous day.

Gladio was no longer next to him, but that didn't bother him too much. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and went to the bathroom, peeing before going to the kitchen to see if Ignis had made anything.

Sure enough, Ignis was waiting in the kitchen with some curry soup, one of Prompto's favourites, along with Gladio and Noctis. "How are you feeling?" Noctis asked.

"You guys are being weird." He answered. "I'm not gonna break, okay? Just treat me how you normally would."

Ignis sighed. "Easier said than done, I'm afraid. We're all rather shaken up by what occurred last night, and we want to ensure that you feel safe."

"I'll feel safe when we're out of here. Just for a bit. Out on the road again, wind in my hair. That'll be really nice." He finished off his soup and asked for seconds, which Ignis gladly gave.

"Well, we can pack up after you've finished and head back out. I think I saw a few new hunts on the billboards around town this morning."

“No, no hunts, please. Just...road.”

Ignis nodded, and they all left him alone so they could pack their bags.

Thankfully, for the rest of the day, and then the next, and the next, all through the week, and then the fortnight, things went back to normal. But Prompto felt different. Wherever he went, he felt watched, especially in town or around people he didn't know. He was hyper-aware of where people's eyes lingered; over his face, his chest, his crotch, his ass.

One shop attendant's eyes lingered just a little too long on his lips, and he'd spent the next ten minutes fighting down a panic attack. Prompto could feel that the others were worried about him, but he didn't know how to talk about it. It felt like there was a serpent trailing behind him, hidden, waiting for the right moment to strike.

It all came to a head when they decided to head back to Galdin Quay for a special fishing trip. As Noctis fished, Prompto grew bored and decided to wander a little. He tucked his phone into his back pocket and started to walk the beach. Slowly, he became aware of another set of footsteps beside him.

He blinked over to see Gladio, looking somewhat sheepish. "Hey." He said lamely.

"Hi."

"Could we...talk?"

"Sure thing, big guy." Prompto put on a smile - one he didn't feel. He hoped Gladio bought it. He wanted to buy it himself. He was sick of feeling so on-edge.

"Is there...anything we can do to make this easier for you? I know you said to just treat you like normal, but that's clearly not working. You're not normal, Prom, and that's okay. Something really scary happened, and you're scared, and that's normal. Thinking that it isn't is getting you nowhere."

"I just..." He sighed. "It feels like...like he's right there, just waiting to get me alone again."

"Yeah. That can't be easy."

"It's...not." Prompto took in a deep breath. "Hey, can we keep walking, I want to show you something."

"Sure."

Prompto led Gladio over to an outcropping of rocks that looked over the water to the island off the coast, the one with the wing-like rock formation. "I came here the first time we did, when...well, before all the stuff about the capital falling, you know? It was really peaceful that night. Just me and the water. Usually, I would snap a shot and show you guys, but...it felt so...I don't know.

"In the city, there were never really places like this, places where you might think 'no one's been here before'. It's all buildings and hand-planted trees. Everything has a purpose. But here, it's just...there. It's nature. It's beautiful because it just...decided to be, not because someone trimmed it back or demanded it grew there. It sprouted itself."

The back of his neck tingled, and suddenly, he really wanted to be touched. He found Gladio's hand and squeezed it. "I thought that, no matter what, I'd always be the same 'me'. Nothing could happen to change who I am. I guess that's why I'm so scared. I don't want to...become timid because of what he...almost did to me."

"Prom, he didn't _almost_ do anything. He hurt you, just with his intent. It's okay to feel scared because of what he wanted to do. Just because he didn't actually do it doesn't mean anything. He was going to take what he wanted, without your permission, and that's...that's terrifying. But there are people who aren't going to do that. More people than those who would. You just have to be more cautious about who you allow yourself to be alone with. And I know there are going to be circumstances where you can't choose who you're with, but...” He shook his head and took a deep breath. “That’s not...that’s not what I...Prom...you had access to the armiger the whole time. You could have drawn your gun. Why didn't you?"

Prompto blinked. He hadn't even thought about it.

Gladio smiled at him. "I'm not saying that so next time you draw your gun, Prom, I'm saying that because...of course you wouldn't have drawn your gun. It's not who you are. You hate hurting people, hate hurting creatures, even. You always make sure to shoot the ones who aren't quite dead yet, only draw your gun after the fight has begun. You fight to protect. Don't forget that."

Prompto's heart squeezed in his chest. Maybe this was a bad idea, but...

He wanted to....

He wanted...

His whole body seemed alive. His heart was going wild, his arms and legs tingled, his cheeks flushed with blood, his breathing went erratic. He swallowed and blinked at Gladio.

Gladio's eyes were soft. His shoulders were relaxed, his hands by his side, his stance open. Prompto stepped closer.

They met in the middle, Gladio leaning down and into Prompto's space, but not in a threatening way. And while Prompto's anxiety spiked, he pushed it down and remembered who he was with, who was about to kiss him.

Their lips touched gently, and Prompto stopped breathing altogether. It lasted only a second, but it was glorious. Gladio pulled away and looked down at him, still holding him in his arms.

Gladio stroked his cheek softly, in the same way Livek had done, but it no longer felt like a trigger. It was Gladio. He would never hurt him. So, in stead of cowering away, he leaned up and allowed himself to be kissed again.

_Six Months Later_

Livek was walking through Lestallum again, after another successful show, hoping to see a friendly face he could take back to his rooms tonight when he saw him. That beautiful face he had seen six months ago, for the first time in the club, on the pole, looking out at all those ordinary faces, those women who only wanted him for his body, only for the moment, only for a night of revelry.

He had seen that face, and had instantly fallen in love. He'd needed him. He had jealously looked for him, wondering who was by his side, with the man of his dreams.

He had led him through stores, offered him anything he could think of to win over his heart, had hoped that his attitude would change when he saw just how much he loved him. How much he needed him.

His heart leapt in his chest upon seeing his face again, and he began to approach, only to see the other guy from the rooftop - the one who had warned him not to come near again - holding hands with his love, talking to him, the pair laughing and touching each other. Any question about their status was abolished when they kissed.

Livek boiled with jealousy, but he turned away. He supposed that the world was just cruel, unknowing just how much he had hurt the person he thought he loved so much.


End file.
